The saturated domestic market compels China to export its capabilities to fuel its economic growth. China’s Asian neighbors are facing shortages of capital and technology. By satisfying these needs, China can help its companies to expand overseas and climb up the global industry value chain.

In his address to the 2016 Shangri-La Dialogue, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter outlined the US concept of a principled security network in the Asia-Pacific. The US sees China’s activities, especially in the South China Sea, as leading it towards raising a “Great Wall of self-isolation.”

Taiwan’s future leaders should not see the South China Sea issue as distinct from China-Taiwan relations. It is the political status of the two governments that underlines Taiwan’s South China Sea contestations.

It has just been over a year since Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during his inaugural state visit to Pakistan in April 2015. The Pakistani port of Gwadar will commence full operations by the end of 2016. Gwadar is essential to CPEC as it will connect CPEC with shipping on the Arabian Sea.

The effectiveness of China’s new food security strategy remains doubtful, as it might turn out to be extremely difficult, if not entirely impossible, for it to achieve absolute security or self-sufficiency in staples. China’s attempts to boost staple production could bring huge economic, social and environmental costs to the country.

The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road plan, along with subtle management tactics and reconsideration of regional customs, sheds light on how the South China Sea issue can be redressed, by providing an alternative that goes beyond the over-politicized and overtly-judicialized hurdles.

In the run-up to the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision regarding the Philippines/China dispute in the South China Sea, China has been “reclaiming,” building on and, the US charges, “militarizing” unoccupied, and in some cases, originally submerged features. The relatively muffled rhetoric on both sides have led to speculation as to what is going on behind the scenes.

In December 2015, China announced a plan to address the fragmented structure of tax collection between the State Tax Bureau and the Local Tax Bureau. An updated information sharing system for tax management, the Golden Tax project, is going to be built up in 2016.